Student Engagement Framework

Student engagement is a fundamental to universities and colleges - whether in learning and teaching, quality processes or governance. But what precisely does the term mean in reality, and what is the implication of student engagement for practice across the sector?

Developing a framework

In 2011 sparqs undertook extensive research among staff and students in different roles in universities and colleges, to discover the different perceptions of student engagement.

The result was A Student Engagement Framework for Scotland, a document endorsed and owned by all the sector agencies and representative bodies in the university and college sector.

The framework consists of five key elements of student engagement, and six features of effective student engagement. It offers a coherent and detailed way of understanding student engagement that can be helpful to institutions and students' associations as they attempt to develop and plan their student engagement activities.

For instance, the framework was very helpful to us at sparqs in developing our own 2013-18 strategic plan. Elements three, four and five of the framework, which relate directly to sparqs' remit, have been formed part of our mission statement.

We have also collated a series of resources from across the sector, such as toolkits and research publications, which generate questions and ideas relating to each of the elements and features. You can find these below.

Calling all course reps and apprentices!
Do you have experience as a course rep and will be a student during 2018-19?
Or......
Will you be an apprentice during 2018-19, or are you a recent graduate apprentice wishing to develop your core skills?
....if so, and you would…

Registration is now open for our next Academic Representation Co-ordinators’ network meeting, taking place on Wednesday 9th May 2018 at University of Stirling Students' Union.
Our third and final meeting of the 2017-18 academic year has a packed and exciting agenda, with two sessions on course reps…

We are delighted to announce that, based on sector interest and demand, sparqs is commencing a project to explore and develop practice in the engagement of postgraduate research (PGR) students.
Over the coming year we will be looking at various aspects…